Milledgeville sexual predator facing child pornography, solicitation and meth-dealing charges

DIXON – A Milledgeville man and registered sexual and violent predator is in Lee County jail on $500,000 bond, charged in two cases with trying to lure a child over the internet, possession of child pornography and dealing methamphetamine.

Casey W. Phillips, 36, previously of Polo and Oregon, was arrested May 3 on multiple warrants issued in Carroll County.

He was the subject of a Dixon police drug investigation, and also was and charged with delivery of less than 5 grams methamphetamine, which carries 3 to 7 years, and possession of less than 5 grams of meth, which carries 2 to 5 years, Dixon PD said in a news release.

Further investigation led to three additional charges, which were filed Tuesday: two counts of of possession of child pornography and indecent solicitation of a child, both of which carry 2 to 5 years , and indecent solicitation of child by means of the internet, punishable by 1 to 3 years, the release said.

According to court documents, investigators say he solicited a 15-year-old girl for sex, and possessed lewd photos of her.

He has a pretrial hearing Thursday.

Phillips was convicted in Lee County in 2018 of aggravated sexual abuse of a child 13 to 16 and failure to register as violent offender.

His victim was 16 and he was 26.

He was convicted in 2014 in Lee County of aggravated sexual abuse of a victim more than 5 years younger than he, and was sentenced to 3 years, and that same year in Ogle County of failure to register as a violent offender and was sentenced to 2 years’ conditional discharge.

Phillips also has warrants for failure to appear in eight pending cases in Carroll County.

He was charged June 6, 2020, with possession of less than 5 grams of meth; on Feb 27, 2021 with possession of less than 5 grams of meth and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, which carries 1 to 3 years, and on May 27, 2021, with failure to register, which carries 3 to 7 years.

He was charged Aug. 5 with producing 20-200 cannabis plants and failure to register, both of which carry 3 to 7 years, and possession of less than 5 grams of meth.

All of those cases are pending, and warrants were issued.